So the Draft page has been updated, and here's what we find...
The total bonus pool for the first eleven picks is $11,177,700. With the Rio Ruiz signing - if Keith Law's $1.85m report is correct - brings the total bonuses to $10,235,200.
Aha! But don't forget the three College World Series players who have yet to sign:
2-61 Nolan Fontana
7-219 Preston Tucker
8-249 Tyler Heineman
The amount of bonuses remaining comes to $1,135,900. But, if you add up the "confirmed" bonuses already handed out to the recommended outstanding bonuses, the Astros have overshot their budget by $193,400. A couple of things, though:
1. Preston Tucker ($151,400) is a senior, and could follow Joe Bircher's lead and sign for far under slot.
2. Remember, the Astros can go over their bonus pool by 5% ($558,885), and while they'd have to pay a tax, they would not forfeit any future draft picks.
3. Seeing as how 26th Round pick C.J. Hinojosa is tweeting a photo countdown of how many days before he shows up in Austin to enroll at Texas, you can probably go ahead and write him off.
4. We're going to have to see what tricky math Jeff Luhnow can run to have enough to make a run at Hunter Virant.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
